Starbound Bonds
by SeventhSever
Summary: Eone Rilt is a seventeen human engineer from a colony that attracts the attentions of a few Mala'Kak for her nature. Now she finds herself with the kind that created hers, and she learns one can evolve faster than they think, but can they grow to understand each other? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_**Discovered**_

Eone Rilt moved through the dense forest with her exploration crew on Eva 9 site 220. Eone was the youngest member and she was an idiot savant when it came to artwork and her profession as a genetic engineer. Coming to the once destroyed burned site it was lush with light vegetation now. Efforts from their restoration project, in the carrier pouch she had the two little cub creatures peaked out making soft sounds. Rescued by Eone during the fire caused by the now banned marines.

She let them pull themselves out and climb up her form, one moved under her hair where it was tied back to peek out making soft chitters. She smiled it reminded her of a raccoon squirrel cross with pure green fur and foliage skin. Working she caressed the creatures as she helped a sapling take better root, re-engineering it's root system, strange eyes even brighter under the light caused by the device.

A sound made her look up as she paused to find herself face to face with stag like creature the size of a car. It had nasty claws that could put a bear to shame back on Earth. The others backed off but she stayed still and reached up a hand slowly and stopped, hand out, waiting. The creature snorted and moved closer, sniffing before its nose touched her palm. Then pressed with muzzle she moved with care and caressed it fully. Digging fingers into moss fur, forehead bumping it's and tilting her head closing her eyes. Its ears slacked, others came out, and it's young. She let them move in and explore her. Sharing the foliage best for them she had brought. Tending the mother that hissed but she removed a wicked claw.

Cleaning her and soothing her, tending her better for a better chance to defend her young. The creature wasn't stupid and nudged her lowering. Eone blinked and realized it wanted her to get on. She did even as her companions startled calling at her in disapproval. The creature righted and moved off bounding in stride followed by its young, she held on but giggled.

It stopped at a clearing area, the nesting grounds. There she met the pack. Caressing and sharing and tending those that needed it playing with the young. Sitting on the ledge overlooking the valley. Feeling the sunset and tilting her head back she closed her eyes with her arms out a bit, feeling the sun against her form, the warmth. The creature that found her moved and curled around her she opened her eyes and looked to it and reached grabbing an antler she kneaded it with fingers down to caress and pet letting it rest with her.

The two engineers above her yet behind had found the glen and the restoration project, laying in wait, remembering this one to be violent to the one that had set the fire and saving two creatures despite getting burned. Her hands were still bandaged. She had worked hard to repair what had been lost, engineering life from ash. Then this encounter with the usually aggressive creatures, brought to the den. Accepted, her equal care. Watching her lean back and rest against the creature moving her coat, the twin creatures moved up to curl around her neck and the four pups moved to nestle against her and it's mother or on her, especially over the heart.

The young human caressed them and slowly sung wordlessly, but softly. The pups and pack got raised ears and listened getting closer to settle down. Reaching up a night flier a sort of bird like butterfly landed on her finger, glowing like the plants around them, but changing tone to the tones of her voice.

The Engineers looked at each other the youngest looked back at her and watched more closely while the other left to go report. She fell asleep with the pack and deeply, at peace. Out of all the humans he had seen this one was the most peaceful and protective. Cautiously Thudral moved down the tree unseen by most due to the cloak and cautiously approached. The animals knew him; he had been at this outpost for two of their generations already. Uncloaking he knelt down and watched her, after a moment he slowly reached out and moved her bangs letting the tips of his fingers trace her skin, amazed that it was actually softer than it looked, warm. Her hair had silken but rough texture like fine fur.

Krale arrived back to see him and signaled to step away and return to the ship. Krale moved to take his spot and used a syringe system gently administering the sedative and taking samples. Gingerly coaxing the animals off but the two under her care he gingerly picked her up. Thudral was given the two to care for in her absence as he took her to the ship for decontamination procedures. They would study her and take her home for further study if certain humans should be relocated to continue or just destroyed and reseeded.


	2. Chapter 2 Surprise

_**Surprise**_

Eone woke up in a vat of liquid she could breathe in she found out after only a moment of brief panic. Tracing the designs cocooning her it lit up and the seams spread apart as it opened. She sat up breaking the surface and turned over the side to cough up what was in her lungs. Looking around, disoriented. In a place she didn't remember, or how she got there, she heard the door opening but her vision didn't focus enough yet.

Krale came in to find her already awake sitting in the decontaminate chamber, looking around. He approached her with new clothes and knelt down into her vision and she looked at him. He braced for the recoil and scream but it didn't come. Instead she tilted her head to him gently and hesitated. Then let her bare fingertips touch his skin along his jaw and cheek. Eyes following her fingers, she was so gentle but not as if he would break.

Those strange eyes looked to him, no fear, but there was a deep awe and yet burning curiosity.

"What are you?" She asked softly.

Krale hmm'd but didn't understand, not yet, he was still grasping to learn her language but he touched her hand and again there was no recoil, she turned it and traced his fingers to compare her hand size to his smiling. Krale shivered inwardly, and grabbed her hand gently to pull. She got up with his help and swayed to grab hold of him. She did recoil this time and flushed bowing saying something he realized it was an apology most likely. Nodding to her he gestured and was pleased when she started to walk with him.

She had to walk faster to keep up but looked around seeing others like him they looked at her and she smiled waving hello a very tall one and Krale's senior blinked and rose a hand to mimic with a tilt she smiled more nodding in a bow a bit and followed Krale's heels. Krale arched an invisible brow glancing his elder to find him looking at his hand and back at her. A greeting given to him openly by a human glad he wasn't the only one perplexed by Eone.

Truthfully Eone surprised herself, but at the same time she knew freaking out would not help anything. She was actually equally as excited as she was terrified, but this was her job, what she signed up for coming to deep space to the outposts. Even more though she had dreamt about something like this when she was seven on the last colony, Eone was genetically enhanced, she had to be to survive to term with her parents in such deep space. It had caused some…differences. Besides she would be one hell of a crappy ambassador to turn around and make these aliens think she was a raving madness. They weren't harming her; if they wanted her for dissection study she wouldn't be alive right now.

Krale got her settled into very nice quarters actually and left her on her own. She grinned when she found supplies that hadn't been locked away. Krale came back with the Commander and stopped to find her in a suit of her own design made with their material. Standing with hands at her back watching the stairs, her hair was fully down reaching her waist, the sides half way the ribs. Bangs gently streaked, yet it was all pinned with that material too so it kept her hair down but out of the way.

Turning to them she bowed in an incline a bit greeting them, Krale returned it and his commander did so after some moment of hesitation. Krale moved aside to allow the Commander further in and he moved around Eone hesitating but he touched her hair and clothing, following the design giving her a questioning look. Eone smiled in return and took his hand startling him but she pulled gently taking a step. He hesitated but followed and she gestured to Krale. Laying out the material and her designs.

They startled, it was one of their drawing pads. Krale made one blank gesturing to her and the pad then his wrist. She realized he wanted to see her make something. She took his hand and used her hands to measure around the wrist and mid forearm. Then looked at the pad and traced, the A.I. activated and allowed her access both looked at each other but then watched her.

Eone didn't notice the look she got lost in her work, pulling the threads of lines pulling them up into a hologram display like she would in her lab the light moved around Krale's wrist and she worked quickly. Adjusting with very intuitive problem solving, moving the material around his arm using the synthesizer codex it shifted and remade the material as they watched. Krale stiffened as the cloth excess fell away and he had a comfortable bracer he could store data chips in among other things, multifunctional. Engineered.

She smiled admiring her work and blinked when large pale fingers took her chin and made her look up to the left. Looking up at the Commander, blinking softly, his thumb traced her jaw, staring at her. He bent down a bit and looked her right in the eyes and she fought not to swallow. Eyes on his, she noticed his oblong almost plus shaped pupils. He blinked and stood up letting her go and stepped back saying something in his language. Their voices were very deep.

Ancient but she shivered; it was very pleasant to hear as it was intimidating at the same time. Krale blinked and looked at her closely also bending down to look into her eyes. She blinked and stared back, was there something wrong with them she wondered. Krale concentrated and saw it, the edges to her pupils were not normal. Nor the color, it was darker, very darker yet transparent. Standing he put out his hand to her. She looked at it and put her small slender hand in it and he pulled leading her out after the commander.

They ended up in some kind of medical room and she frowned gripping his hand to look at him. Krale saw her worry and concern. He shook his head and brought her to the chair pointing at a scanner and himself using it. She saw the scan go and materialize as a hologram. She sighed and felt an odd tension leave. They just wanted to scan her. She let him help her up and she sat still and compliant. Calm. Letting him scan her and he looked behind her where she could hear the hologram forming.

Krale studied her genetic sequencing, he knew humans came from them but they were more curious over differences. It showed more clearly and his Commander looked it over then at Krale who glanced him. She didn't see the overlapping sequences. She had a Thirteenth gene. One short of an Engineer. She was not like the rest of her population, the genetic markers they had on file for murder, violence anything of a darker nature came up to overlap. The gene for murder and abhorrent violence were not there and surprisingly she was genetically the most non violent and had a sequence that came up suddenly branching out in red forming out to a rare gene imprint. Guardian Gene. A picture came of Sokar…the Engineer who seeded Earth. It was the marker that led to his selection in the first place.

His now very human descendant carried his gene. Krale felt his heart race a bit and he immediately filed her to send to the council. She was going to their homeworld, even the look his Commander had verified it and she would never leave their world. She would be studied, if they could learn how to replicate these sequence humans could be saved instead of culled perhaps. That was up to the council. He helped her down and to go back. Eone was tired though but she did eat and wouldn't sleep until Krale ate something amusing him. She wondered where exactly this interaction would lead as she fell asleep, unaware of the ships already launching departure.


	3. Chapter 3 Guardian of a Space Jockey

_**Guardian**_

Panic. It had set in at first once she learned they were no longer on the colony world and in space, heading somewhere unknown. Eone observed the habits of the Engineers and began to pick up and learn to adapt to her surroundings. Her interactions were mostly with Krale and the Commander Surael. She had to hack into their A.I. and adapt some sub routines and she was able to learn much while locked away. She had to use it to find out why she was locked in today and what she saw angered her. They were going to an outpost for a distress signal. One of their own was in trouble from humans.

Eone brought up a hologram of the ship schematics. Why did it anger her so? Because Krale was going into face Marines, humans known to shoot first and ask later. They would kill him and the one they were rescuing, and put in the report that they had been attacked first. It had happened on the colony, to creatures just startled and defending their young and territory. Moving she put it in her bracer and shifted to her second secret outfit she had retrofitted from her first suit. Sneaking through the ventilation. Slipping onto the transport ship.

Krale was suited up and worried in secret about his human chagrin he was leaving behind. Unaware of her escape act. Or of her plan, and previous training from her mother, an officer herself in another military field. Getting to the surface he moved fast with the two with him. Getting to the outpost relay that was already nearly destroyed as was protocol. Finding the Mala'kak, shocked to find it was Surael's son Hrisley. He was injured, getting him he took cover as marines fired.

Shielding Hrisley someone ran out of the door alcove and Krale turned suddenly shocked. It couldn't be! Eone threw charges she had found on the marine's transport outside, explosions went up and she used the defense training from the academy and the training from her mother, hitting a Marine who stared at her stunned but she broke his arm he cried out and she twisted them around and made him pull the trigger killing a marine. Using him as a shield.

Dropping with him to roll over him using the baton she hit the marine in the face breaking his nose and knocking him out. Dodging another with a knife she was up and used Earth Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do Hooking a broken rail with her foot to catch it she moved and hit others. Yelling at the other Mala'kak who winced but got his injured comrade out. Taking cover behind the pillar after throwing the make shift staff spearing a Marine in the shoulder.

She stayed still and looked up and over at Krale who blinked seeing a deep resolve come over her. She picked up a Marine's grenade set and made the pins fly off as they clicked and turned jerking when shot she yelled out and threw them into the chassis of the energy field chamber and turned running hard she leapt over the console hitting him and Hrisley they went down because of her body weight and she shielded them with herself and a panel cover.

The explosion was massive. Getting up the last Marine yelled at them and Eone stood suddenly in front of Krale but especially the hurt Hrisley on his knees, her body completely blocked his with arms out yelling something at the human. She put hands up on her head walking to the Marine who yelled at her angrily. He grabbed her but she moved breaking his wrist holding the gun he used his knife she countered and twisted him he cried out she made him impale himself. Staring at each other, he gripped her and she pushed he jerked red streamed from his mouth look shocked gurgling something. She glared and said something back.

She let him drop and she backed away but staggered and gripped the rail. Turning to them, red was down her chin and her side was dark and spreading. Pale and sweaty and dirty with soot and other things, bangs streaked and damp. They were alive, Krale was alive and a little burned and the other much smaller and younger one was alive. She had protected them; maybe her father had been right she would have made a good herald scout in the Space air force. She took a step to go to them but grabbed the rail as her leg buckled and she fell, her body didn't want to listen anymore and felt numb.

Krale rushed forward and caught her before her head hit the ground and picked her up yelling, others moved and got Hrisley they moved and rushed to medical where Surael already was with medics he had seen over the monitors what had gone on. Quickly Krale put her on the table and helped rip the suit off. He would be ashamed to see her naked later. Blood was lining the table, shot in the abdomen to the side. Vitals had been grazed badly.

Eone felt cold and tired trying to keep the world in focus. She forced herself to reach out and touch his face. He looked at her and she smiled, saying something but only her lips were moving. Krale leaned down like she hoped and she kissed his cheek. Tears burned her eyes and traced down her cheeks, the darkness was wining and she didn't want to go. But she had saved Krale; she didn't understand why she had fought so hard to go in so recklessly to save him. He wasn't human, he couldn't understand her but still…she didn't want to live in a universe he wasn't there.

Putting something in his other hand gripping it hard. Her eyes fluttered close she wanted to sleep. Her body slacked as her head went back and her hand fell away, leaving red on Karle's pale flesh. From her lips and from her hand and falling fingers. Krale had tensed and felt his heart in his throat seeing that smile and worry when she wanted to tell him something only to realize she wanted to touch him perhaps for the last time. Feeling her hand fall away looking at her slacking form as tears traced her skin.

Something in him ached and he moved picking her up to bark at them to quickly get the statsis chamber and liquid. Ejecting her with the regenerative liquid he quickly let her sink into the liquid of the decontamination pod as stasis booted up and sealed her in leaving her to be monitored. He looked to find her pendant he had never seen her take off and gripped it his eyes burned like his chest clenching his jaw he refused to shed tears in front of them.

Young Hrisley did not, younger and less controlled on that front. Never seeing a human self sacrifice for another that was not a mate or child. Tended by medics.

"Father…she shielded me, she does not know me or my intentions." He said looking to him.

Surael looked to his son, "She's a guardian even for a human. She is the closest thing to Sokar, it's in her nature."

He was still amazed she had killed her own kind to save his son and Krale most of all. Praying to whatever gods still watched over the stars silently that the human survived and not just for the sake of their mission. He owed her a great debt for his son's life and he did not wish her to die off without progeny to carry on Sokar's nature.


	4. Chapter 4 Evolution's Companion

_**Evolutions' Companion**_

Krale learned as much as he could on human anatomy, foods, language, everything possible while he waited for her to survive or perish. He got signaled by medical that she was waking up and he dropped his book on the table and moved through the halls leaving his chamber he had had extended to include hers. Getting there quickly without running to see her coughing up liquid and gripping the sides shivering. A medic moved helping her up and wrapped her up after checking her side.

She had regenerated quiet well after two weeks in the chamber but would be swore. Other Mala'kak were talking and scanning animatedly. He frowned but approached anyway to realize as he got closer her skin had paled, a lot even for her. Gripping the towel that was like a blanket to her she turned to see Krale and he towered over her to kneel down to be closer to her height. Looking up at him her eyes were nearly neon in vibrancy and her pupils were different. Almost like a Star. Her hair was longer and the edges had whitened like the tips of her bangs. She saw that he was wearing her pendant and smiled touching it. He moved to take it off she stopped him then scrambled nearly dropping the towel.

"No keep it; I gave it freely because I wanted you to have it no matter what happened to me. You are my friend and keeper." She smiled.

"I have not kept you well then if you can sneak off and nearly get killed." He mused and she stared eyes widening mouth slack.

She shook her head, "Okay I must be dreaming because I thought you just spoke English."

Krale smirked a tad, "you heard me human. I had time to learn while you healed."

She grinned then gripping the towel happily to herself.

"What's your name? Mine is Eone Rilt. You can call me Eone or Eon if it's easier." She smiled brightly.

He tried to pronounce her name without butchering it.

"I am Krale, now, why did you save me and kill your own kind?" He asked wanting an answer, it had plagued him for two weeks even when he re watched the security feed.

She blinked and flushed a little. "Because I didn't want to be in a universe without you in it, you would have been hurt or killed by idiot humans who are violent. They don't care about what they do, I know because they damaged so much I worked to reengineer and repair bringing life back to what they destroyed. I couldn't let them kill you, any of you."

She looked to him, "I'm your companion, if I can protect you I will no matter if I get hurt or worse. I vowed that to myself a long time ago after I realized you weren't going to kill me and cut me up for study. I want to be your friend to share myself with you as you have tried or are trying to. That is worth protecting and dying for. You are worth protecting and dying for Krale."

Krale was taken aback. This human…reaching up moving her bangs she tilted her head making him brush her skin and gasped to shiver touching his hand, swallowing looking at him. Explaining what she felt but what she felt was what…he felt. He startled, the medics asked him and he explained and they murmured. Doing tests, something had changed during her regeneration.

"Eone…you can never go home, never be with humans ever again, I am the one who took you from humanity. Do you still want to be my companion and die for me?" He asked, he had to.

She looked to him where she sat as they ran their tests.

"I will miss the colony but not Earth; I am the last Rilt, the last one of my line. I have no ties to earth but that I'm human. I might get home sick, but I had a feeling I would never go home long before you took me. I still want to be your companion…you won't leave me alone…will you?" Her chest tightened and she forced her eyes a little wider to stop the edging burn.

Krale blinked at her honesty.

"If the council decides your fate is to stay with my people…I will stay with you." He said softer then intended and didn't know why he said it but seeing that look of hurtful longing for his company had made something in him crack.

Seeing them nod that she was cleared he nodded. Picking her up she squeaked in surprise but held to him he hmm'd and took her to go get cleaned up and food. Showing her the changes to the quarters. Giving her privacy he went to go to the bridge to report and commander Surael asked about Eone. Krale told him everything; there were no lies to each other on this ship. Surael looked over the report file.

"This Eone…I think the council will want her to breed, to pass on the Gene of Sokar. Especially with her change, the mix of her enhanced genetics and our own treatment triggered a step of evolution in her. She isn't so human anymore, she's something a bit different. If you request to be with her can you bring yourself to let her be mated…by you." He looked at him.

He frowned tilting his head, "I'm not sure the council will approve me for that, I am damaged and not from the burn."

"She chose you to protect, to be a companion to, in time I think she will choose you for a mate if the council deems her to take one. You will still be honored and remembered and your line passed and blended. Can you accept that honor and protect her?" He countered.

Krale shivered inwardly and thought about it.

"I would protect her even now, or she will find another reason to protect me into harm." He mused.

Surael laughed. Now that was true. He owed the human he now knew as Eone, his instincts told him she would eventually chose Krale as a mate. He would vouch for him in the council and make it a reality as pay back. Besides Sokar's line was too valuable to let waste away and Krale was honorable, this would be his one and only second chance. There was still time.


	5. Chapter 5 Eone of Sokar

_**Eone of Sokar**_

Eone had felt hot and dreamt of worlds not her own, of memories, feelings, some held Krale others of another much older and taller Mala'kak. Waking up sweating dazed she got up and stripped out of her clothing. It was too tight and too hot to be in. Searching for something, Krale wasn't there.

Krale returned to find her clothes everywhere and she was gone from her quarters searching the bathroom he found her not there, going past his he double backed and saw there was someone in his bed. This room was a lot colder than out here, too cold for a human for very long. Concerned he stepped inside and went to the bed moving the sheet off her it came off sticky with something clinging to it. Disturbed he made the lights come on.

Skin and chunks of something clung to his sheets. Heart racing he touched her and found her nearly his temperature, her skin broke apart where he touched and slid off leaving white porcelain underneath. Yanking the sheet off he picked her up not caring what was getting on him rushing into the bathroom quarters hitting the water and the com for medics. Putting her under the water. Watching the color wash out of her hair to be silver going white.

She wasn't waking up but she was breathing. Taking a cloth he touched and pressed it to her face but it came off with the cloth. Instead of muscle, blood and veins he got porcelain, silver eyebrows and lashes. Cleaning off her entire face. Tracing her cheek to find it smooth and warm, she stirred and opened fluttering eyes he froze. Dark eyes stared back, dark eyes flecked with seeming starlight, pupil's oblong with star edges.

Medics entered and took over; he was quarantined as well just in case. Several hours going by before he was released deemed non contaminated. Surael came to get him out himself he asked immediately about Eone.

"She's not human anymore, she's a hybrid." He said and led him to where she was, she was dressed in her own space suit that fit to her skin. Turning dark eyes toward them she rushed to Krale.

Krale moved and picked her up as she embraced him. Apologizing so much for worrying him, they Separated enough for him to look at her, see her changes. What she had become. This was her consequence for her thirteenth gene, and for saving their lives. She leaned into his touch and he felt a strange calmness. Letting her down carefully, called over by Hrisley she went to him and he started showing her better lessons on the suit.

"She's part Mala'kak now Krale, to kill her would be to kill apart of ourselves. She will never leave our world, rumor has already spread that she is to be a part of the councils expansion project. If this is true she will be bred and that which comes from her will be left on a new world. She would be the key to see if others like her can be made."

Krale watched her and shivered. In a way her mutation and evolution saved her life, in another way it also damned her. She would no longer be free, and expected to produce progeny if it was possible. Either way she was something to be protected, not destroyed.

He took her back to their quarters and ate with her, watching her a bit. She asked why he was so quiet he blinked and explained the rumors, what may and could happen. She looked at her food and moved it around a bit, frowning.

"Would I get to choose…who my partner would be?" She looked at Krale and he blinked.

"I am not sure for certain." He admitted.

She got up putting the leftovers in the recycle feed and he helped. Separating to rest he always gave her privacy before bed. But he turned where he sat on the bed to find her there. Looking at him.

"Eone…" Before he could finish his question she moved and lips brushed and claimed his.

Krale stilled, her lips were very warm and soft, hesitating he pressed back. His slight response got her to press and try again. Krale shivered inwardly and kissed her back, it slowly deepened and he growled pulling her close and turned nipping she gasped and he came to himself.

He didn't know what had come over him. He made to get up but she didn't let him.

"If I am to choose then I have chosen. If I am to not be free then I am to choose whom to keep and I have chosen. I chose and choose you Krale." She said softly but seriously.

Krale listened only to shudder and lean kissing her softly it grew to something more again. Asking him to stay. He pulled her into his hold and let her sleep. Running fingers through her odd silver hair. Even though she was a hybrid he still felt a shiver to be chosen by a female was no small feat or matter. They engineered life with the males they chose. Only they had the means to truly create life in its purest form. He didn't know if she could breed with a Mala'kak even if she was a hybrid but he would stay with her if he could regardless until her life cycle ended.


	6. Chapter 6 Epicenter of Wills

_**Epicenter of Wills**_

Eone had made her choice of choosing Krale and had been intimidated with the idea of mating a giant but she had fallen for Krale. It hadn't been easy at first, but she had mated him and realized with the intake of their foods she was pregnant. It wasn't hard to hack into the files of the ship and learn of the council, their ways, procedures, and histories. She could understand their language thanks to the shift and the neural translator she had embedded behind her ear herself.

Krale had been a soldier but his wounds from saving a council member left him listed as unviable to be bonded to a female on his home world. It had infuriated her, and driven Eone to look up their histories. How they treated males, especially soldiers that seemed far more deserving to pass on a genetic lineage. Working in secret she often snuck off to the hangar bays and worked engineering things, many left her be. She kept it that way so none knew what she was up to. The final changes had taken place in her hybridization.

Eone was six foot three, more lithe and built; pale with dark eyes flecked by stars fully, no more pupils. Her hair was far long reaching her calves and silver going blue the sides her waist. Features sharper, her intelligence had spiked as well as senses. Hacking into their system she encrypted her evolution and other things storing them in a vault on the ship she designed. Learning of the council's plan to isolate her for study, any offspring would be taken from her and left when old enough if it survived to fend for itself on some primitive world.

No choice. Redesigning her suit it fit her and armored her. Krale blinked when he saw her in it and her walk toward the hangar to turn and lock it down hitting the com. transmitting to the ship directly.

"You have gotten the chance to know me as a human and as something else. I know of your history, your people, your home world, your council. I know what they have in store for me and my offspring. They will not get my son, Eonkra. Nor will you, if you resist me I will destroy you, or you can follow me to a new world. "

As she spoke holograms shifted including the one of the unborn she was carrying. Krale stared and stilled eyes on it. His progeny.

"I am my own guardian as was Sokar my father who created humans, and gave us such will to defy and survive. I am not a pet, or a test subject. The system has failed you all, soldiers who become damaged and never permitted to pass. That is not the survival but cowardice. Those strong enough to survive should pass first above all. I wish no violence to any of you but I will not let my progeny and new system fail or my rule. You have been given your choice." She cut the transmission.

Standing in front of the screen, Krale approached it and looked at her. She looked up at him.

"Are you with me Krale?" She asked softly.

"If not then this is goodbye mate, but there will be no other, do you go back to a world who might accept you even a fraction, or do you go with me to a world we start ourselves? Free." She said and watched him.

Most Mala'kak were like drones and had a deep breed loyalty. She would let him make a choice. Krale eyed her, taking her side was treason but she spoke truth, she knew what awaited her and Eonkra and he would most likely be stripped of any way to breed for breeding her. She was offering him a chance to see the child develop, the life they engineered, to engineer a new world.

A figure stepped up with him. Hrisley, he looked at her, he was very young, and now damaged. She looked at him he bowed his head and made his choice. Passing the energy field as she allowed it to stand with her. There was no future for him back home. Krale bowed his head to and felt her reach up pass the field and lift his chin, not letting him bow, tracing. He passed the field and up to her leaning down to hook her chin he kissed her briefly.

Stepping back and around her behind her. Watching her, she had come into her own and reminded him of the queen back home shivering a bit. The will that burned in her though was not like that of the queen. A group of others arrived bowing and crossed over and to Krale's surprise Surael was one of them having given up his position as captain.

She led them in and hit the wall it shimmered and revealed the ship she had engineered using their ship reform technology. She boarded and they followed looking around. The crew of twenty-five took their positions. Krale reclaimed his previous station as a weapons controller and looked to find her climbing up into a separate pilot's seat locking in, hologram displays went around her.

Instead of a face mask she got a visor and it lit up hands passing through controls as she grabbed the handle shifts locking her in. Over riding the ship's main controls unlocking the bay. Ship lighting up. Surael took over as Navigator officer which was his specialty. Eone shifted the controls piloting, eyes glowing in the light of the visor the starlight flecks even brighter.

Seeing the reflection of the ship against their own he blinked at the design, it was sleek and not just for speed but defense and offense this was a war ship. Their feet got locked in as they stood at their posts. She shifted controls as the original ship opened fire. Eone dodged taking evasive maneuvers, barrel rolling and snapping out of it his console lit up more and he activated the shielding and weapons to see her move with the controls and open fire.

Her look the same the day she had confronted the marines to save him and Hrisley. He felt a swell of determination and looked at the console and made sure the weapons array was at max letting his Eone do what she had sworn to do. There was no turning back now. Eone didn't kill outright she did destroy the ships defenses and weaponry. Leaving the enemy crippled and destroyed without loss of life was far more devastating. Surael grinned a bit glancing at Krale who smirked to look back at Eone who flew bringing up new star charts for them to see. Hidden ones from her own kind and those she had recovered from the archives. Re charting uncharted space to a world that supported life.

He would be lying if he didn't say he wasn't excited and looking around he saw it in others, there was almost equal male to female crew, a new start. Realizing Eone had planned the defection and for the mission of supporting not just the hybrid but future Mala'kak to follow. Sokar. Guardian. Will. She looked from her station as she gave the honor of flying to Surael and his son as co-pilot. Hrisley stood taller facing his father; he had wanted to fly with him since he was little but never designated allowance to. Surael bowed his head in a nod they moved and she disengaged to join Krale.

He moved her bangs and she looked at him.

"You keep surprising me and making me surprise myself. You meant everything you ever said to me, to the others." He moved his hand to her middle and pressed, "To him."

She tilted her head a bit putting hands over his.

"I keep my word Krale, it's not just about honor, and it's about honesty, trust, and living free. He will be free and we will teach him. Or I will perish trying, he is ours." She said a bit defiantly.

Krale kneaded his thumb against her and leaned kissing her forehead. Showing her how to work his station completely. Teaching each other, just like they would Eonkra. Krale relaxed, though worried about retaliation of the council he lived in the moment. He was going to be a father of a new race, one he didn't have to die to create. He learned of her plan to seek out humans like her and invite them to learn to change to evolve. He knew he would protect this new race, let it grow, it was what many who had seeded themselves would have done. They would be guardians. Determination filled him with purpose, he had a new purpose, injured or not he would see it fulfilled.


	7. Chapter 7 Happy Birthday

_**Happy Birthday**_

Krale ran through the facility back from his mission of setting up the new tower when messaged by Surael about Eone. Coming to medical he found her there in bed propped up and monitored, exhausted and pale with a sheen of sweat, but not alone. Holding a moving bundle tracing the contents inside, Krale approached and she looked at him to smile weakly. He gently took a seat and she moved the swaddling he got to see Eonkra. The boy had a shock of auburn hair like her and was pale but not as pale as Krale. His eyes dark with starlight, all fingers and toes, healthy.

The first hybrid and child of Nexus Genesis, their new world. Eone traced his fair cheek he stirred making light noises mostly sleeping, the little life tired already from being born, adjusting to the atmosphere, the changes. Krale traced his head carefully and hmm'd naturally, seeing the life he created for the first time. The first of the new race to come.

It came back she was fine medically, just exhausted and would be for a few days needing to rest. She smirked though as she fed Eonkra and relaxed back.

"Why are you smirking so?" Krale asked amused.

"Oh no reason, just thinking of when I should trap you and try again," she said casually.

He blinked then realized her implications.

"You want to have another child with me…are you sure?" He meant more so about her health.

She smiled.

"Krale, I want a family of my own, not a huge one but not a small one, two to three children is enough. Besides this is our legacy and lineage we are leaving behind. There needs to be more than one child." Her logic was sound and he knew it.

He smirked and looked at Eonkra as she finished and burped him to hand him over carefully. Krale held his son and settled down. Letting her fall asleep, watching over her he looked at his son. It sunk in then, their new world was just starting, his son, the progenitor line of a new race was here, in his arms. He stared back into those starlight dark eyes as they watched each other. Eonkra taking him in and making noise softly sucking on his fingers.

Krale smiled a bit, to be honest this was the first time he had ever been able to hold a baby and it was his own. Back home it was a hive system of sorts and children were separated and cared for until of proper age to slightly be more independent before being returned to their parents. He would see Eonkra grow up, and he would be his teacher with Eone, no one would raise his son but him.

Kissing the child's head he soothed him to sleep putting him down in the cradle like crib that held him. Letting him sleep with Eone kissing her head and tucking her in before leaving. The crew looked to him as he joined the bridge.

"She is healthy as is Eonkra, both survived. She has decided to have two more at least with me; she and I have also set up a new station to be built on the surface five miles from the tower. A living station so you all may also have families."

A couple of the females shivered in relief and looked to their males who squeezed their shoulders with a gentle look. They were already expecting and had worried about what she would decide, she was a new queen. Yet they were slowly relaxing to realize they had freedom to bond and mate.

Young Kazim gripped his female's shoulders and spoke up.

"Will she allow our offspring to interact?" He asked softly.

Before he could answer another voice answered.

"Of course, they are the future guardians and one day our races will be blended. We are the progenitors to their future." Eone said coming onto the bridge carrying a carrier.

"I have come out to let you meet him; he is family just like all of you are my family and people." She set the carrier on the table making it fold a bit and show Eonkra within.

Kazim looked to his female Ilsis and they moved to see him. Many others followed taking their turns. She took him out and looked to Ilsis and approached her where she sat. Leaning she quickly moved and found herself carefully holding Eonkra. The baby gazed at her with no prejudice, just awed curiosity. She caressed her finger carefully along his little cheek he gripped it with his small hand. Smiling a baby's smile trying to figure her finger out. Tears brimmed Ilsis' eyes and Kazim gripped her shoulders standing taller. Soon he would be seeing her with his own child; they would have their own moment like this.

This was a glimpse at the future and it filled him with hope and pride and filled his mate with eager hope and loving contentment. Looking at Eone Kazim bowed his head in incline she returned it. He got to hold him as well as did the other expectant couple before he had to go back into the carrier wanting sleep. Eone took him back after kissing Krale who watched her go.

He knew why she did what she did, to give the crew ease and hope. Kazim was beside him and he shivered a little.

"She is a queen me and Ilsis will follow till the end of our lives Krale. She meant what she said to us before we defected, I realize that now. I look forward to our sons growing up together." He meant it holding a hand out to Krale.

Krale took it as they gripped each other's forearms looking at each other. Ilsis smiled to him when he turned to her and came to her kissing her both walked to the others and Krale followed to bring up the plans of the new station. One they would all build together, home. Looking around the others he would have to help lead them, realizing what Eone had done choosing him not just for a mate but a leader.

Krale felt a sense of purpose and he got to work. He would make this work for his child and his people. Eone came back after a rest and helped with light work but she helped and the crew noticed the effort. The leader who gave the law and worked with their people, one of the people. It made Krale, Kazim, and a few of the other males work harder.


End file.
